Swan/Dolpin resort WDW?
 

Has anyone recently stayed at either of these resorts? I"ve read conflicting reviews of both. How are the rooms? Would the Hilton(Downtown Disney) be a better choice. I've been to disboards and mousesavers and still come back with mixed reviews. Any suggestions. We are mid-fifties with no children for trip and spending 5days and want to stay within the Disney complex. thanks
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Have not stayed there recently--

Only complaint is the rooms are small..but you ARE close to the Park..

Only good for 2 people- not 2 people with kids...so from that stand point you should be fine.

My husband stayed there in June of this year on business, and I will give you his impressions.

He said the rooms are of a normal hotel room size and were very clean and comfortable, but he felt the common areas were kind of cheesy and overdone for what the resort holds itself to be.

He said he would never stay there if paying full price or if paying himself, but it was fine for the meetings he attended and the meeting facilities were excellent.

I guess of you are not looking for tasteful and understated, it sounds like it would fit the bill from what he said.

The Hilton at downtown disney is not "in" Disney it's across the street from downtown but nowhere near Magic Kingdon or Epcot etc. There's a shuttle bus to Disney attractions but it takes about 15 minutes. This is a standard Hilton and fine if you get a good rate - no more than $100.

The Dolphin and Swan are both fairly tacky and the public areas are a little strange - although the rooms are OK. I would investigate some of the other Disney on-site properties - they seem desperate a the moment and I think are discounting even some of the better properties like the Grand Floridian or newer resorts.

Great location, very clean, above average restaurants, nice staff, has a launderette, good choice IMhO.

We stayed at the Dolphin last summer and liked it very much. The Swan has just been refurbished and they are in the process of refurbishing the Dolphin. The rooms are fine. The pool area is great--beautiful and very relaxing. One of the best things is there are not as many children running around as there are at most of the other Disney hotels. The proximity to the parks is GREAT! You can walk to Epcot or MGM or take the Friendship boat. The bus service to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom is very good. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. They offer discount rates to nurses, teachers, and government workers. They also offer the Entertainment Rate.

My husband and I stayed there last March. It is not a luxury hotel but it is clean and we had no complaints. As we were traveling without our children, I found the hotel to be quieter then most Disney properties due to very few children present. You can get a good deal on rates as mentioned above and the proximity to all the Disney parks are a plus. I'd go for it.

I stayed at the Dolphin with my husband and teenage daughter three years ago. For a couple in your fifties (as my husband and I are) I would say it's a great location, in the best area in the Disney complex. Walk to EPCOT, and you are right next to the Boardwalk, where there are good restaurant choices including the excellent Flying Fish.

We had a room with a view of the fireworks at EPCOT, which was terrific. The pool area is wonderful. There is a lap pool which was quiet and relaxing as well as a huge landscaped pool with waterfalls and a water slide.

We stayed at a teachers' rate of $129 per night, which is lower than the price at the time we went for the Disney moderate resorts. The room is bigger and has better amenities than the ones at the moderate resorts.

The hotel lobby is huge and not terribly attractive, but so what?

I have stayed there many times over the years at meetings. Let me say, if I were going on my own, I would chose one of the Disney properties (Wilderness Lodge or Beach Club being my favorites).
But when someone else is paying, both are fine. A few years ago, they were getting really run down, but when I stayed at the Swan last year, my room had just been redone and was very nice. They have an adequate exercise room, and they are extremely convenient to Epcot, MGM and the Boardwalk. The pool is fine. The rooms are standard US hotel size. With no kids, this actually may be one of the best places to stay.

We went with another couple to the Dolphin. We paid for the standard room but got a huge room with a kitchenete and mini living room and fold down Murphy bed. We kept saying to the other couple how nice the room was and they were ambivilent. Finally, we saw their room. It was a tiny connecting bedroom to the huge type of room we had. Apparently we had the living room portion of a suite and they were stuck with the little adjoing bedroom. For once we lucked out. So, find out what your options are before you decide. All being equal, the Dolphin and Swan are much nicer than a Hilton